Method of attaching rubber trim to fabric shoe parts



Sept. 3, 1940. H. cHAcE ET Al. 2,213,545

METHOD 0F TTACHING RUBBER TRIM TO FABRIC SHOE PARTS Filed Aug. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 3, 1940. c. H. cHAcE Er AL 2,213,545

METHOD 0F ATTACHING RUBBER TRIM TO FABRIC SHOE PARTS Filed Aug. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0V V v TTOHA/EY UN'EE STATES Pd'lblbl'l" @FFQE BMTHUD F ATTACEHNG RUBBER TRHM T0 FABRIC SHOE PARTS Charles lil. Chace, Warwick Neck, Alfred B. Lingle Cranston, and Percy .L McCarthy, Bristol, R. ll., assigncrs to Goodyear Footwear Corporation, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Dela- Ware Application August 5, 1938, Serial No. 223,230

l Claim. (Cl. 12-146) This invention relates to an improved method v The best mode in which We have contemplated of attaching rubber trim to fabric shoe parts and practicing our improved method is shown in the incre particularly7 to fabric shoe uppers. accompanying drawings, but these are to be 1t has long been common practice to attach taken as merely illustrative because it is intended separate pieces of preformed rubber trim to a that the patentshall cover by suitable expression 5 preformed fabric part of a shoe. These separate in the appended claim Whatever features of pieces of trim have been attached separately by patentable novelty reside in the method disadhesion or by stitching. More recently another closed.

method has been suggested wherein a piece of vin the drawings.: fabric from which the upper is to be made. and a Figure l is a plan view of means whereby the 1()` sheet of vulcanized rubber are applied to each light pressure and relatively high temperature other in fiat or planar form and then pressed conditions may be imposed;

between a suitable support and a die member, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the means shown the latter having pressing cr cutting edges shaped in Figure l. with a die in position to receive the l5 to correspond to the outline along which the aprubber sheet and fabric upper; 15

plied sheets are to be connected together. Ac- Figure 3 is a plan of a die by which our irncording to this suggested method the attaching of proved method may be practiced; the fabric piece and rubber sheet is performed Figure i is a section in elevation through a l at ordinary rcorn temperatures, or at temperaportion of the die taken as along line l-li of tures but slightly in excess thereof, and at rela- Figure 3;

tively high pressure. Because the fabric material Figure 5 is a plan view of a preformed fabric is used in sheet form the wastage thereof is exupper; cessive since the inethod does not permit nesting Figure 6 is a perspective view of an internal of the uppers and this Wastage occurs Whether counter which preferably is used with the upper; the die is provided with a cutting edge capable Figure 7 is a plan showing a sheet ofl rubber 25 ci severing the fabric sheet or Whether the cutmaterial, an internal counter, and the preformed ting out of the uppers is performed in a subsequent fabric upper laid on a die;

operation. Figure 8 is a View showing the completed upper A. principal object' of the present invention is With the trirn elements and internal counter seto provide an improved method of applying rubber Cured thSreO; 30

trim to fabric uppers in such manner that the Figure 9 iS il Sl "GllIOllgh 2 portion of the aboveuncntioned diiliculties are avoided. To this completed Lipper krl aS 310mg line 9 9 of end the improved method provides that' the up- Figure 8;

pers shall be preformed or cut out of fabric stock Figur@ l@ iS aDOllhel SllCh SSCOD take-1i as on before any trim is applied thereto. it is a feature 1111 -l l 0f FgllTG 8; 35

' or the improved method to employ a die which Figure 111s a plan View 0f a tongue and toe can is shaped to and conforms exactly with the out- 4member to be assembled with the trimmed Upper; line of an upper and has portions corresponding and n to an of the trim that is to be attached to nie Fleur@ 12 is e View in side elevation of a 40 upper. A sheet of rubber material is placed on completely assembled upper. 40

the die and on this sheet is positioned the pre- Referring novv more particularly to the drawformed upper, care being taken that the upper ings, the improved method is conveniently on one side of the sheet registers exactly with the practiced lby employing'rneans capable of exerting die on the other side of the rubber sheet. The a Tamm light pSSSlile against Bf die heated to a method then involves forcing the upper and relatively high temperature. Such means are 45 rubber sheet' toward the die under relatively light suggested -in Figures -l and 2. A fixed base mem pressure While the die is maintained at a rather bei i iS provided with a slidable table t of such high temperature, thus causing the rubber to length that When One h'flf 0f the table iS in psconform to the delineations of the die which H011 SelOW .DYGSSUY@ plate 3, the other half eX- determine the trim elements. Under this light tens Clearly t0 (me Sid@ thereO- Efwh half 0f pressure and the influence of the nigh temperathe table iS preferably provided with a heating tui-e ula rubberreadilymouies im@ the delineated element indicated by dotted Outline, to which parts ci the die and also enters the mesh of the @BCtYC Cuelt may b@ Supplied ll'OU-gh Cables fabric throughout the portions of the fabric Which ObVOllSy the OW 0f CullSIl't may be conare to be covered by the trim. Upon the pressure trolled by Suitable thermcstatic means (not being removed and the pressed upper and rubber SIOWH) C malan my deSTed temperature. Sheet being tagen from the die the portions of Above the heating element 0n the portion of the rubber sheet which do not form part of the the table at one sideof the pressure plate, a die 6 trim can readily be torn away and this rubber is laid which may be preheated if desired by any 6u material can be used again. suitable means. When placed on the table the 60 die is maintained at the desired temperature by the conduction of heat from the heating element. As will more particularly be described, a sheet of unvulcanized rubber is laid on this die and on the sheet of rubber is laid a preformed upper of a fabric shoe, together, if desired, with a preformed counter. The table 2 is then moved along the base I until the die and its superimposed material are brought under the pressure plate 3. The latter is then lowered against the upper and counter and a light pressure applied. While this is taking place another die on the other half of the table is similarly prepared with another piece of rubber stock and another upper and counter. When the pressing operation is completed the table is again moved to bring the second die and its material under the pressure plate. While the second attaching operation takes place, the completed upper is removed from the first die which is again prepared With fresh stock. 'Thus the removal of a completed upper from one die and the assembly of the material thereon for another upper may be accomplished While the rubber trim is being attached by another die.

Refering now to the die 6, this has a base portion Ba which rests on the table 2 and upstanding on this base portion is What may be termed the die proper 6b'. The outline of the die proper coincides with the outline of the shoe upper to which the rubber trim is to be applied. The die is shaped to define all of the rubber trim that is to be attached to the upper. For example, as seen in Figure 3, the die has portions 6c and 6d corresponding to the eyelet stays, a portion Se for the ankle patch, portions tf and 6g for the arch straps, and a portion (ih for the foxing along the bottom edge of the upper, this latter portion preferably including a portion 6i for the outside counter Which may be of greater thickness than the remainder of the trim. Provision, as regards the depth of this counter portion, may be had for the inside counter Which may be applied to the upper simultaneously With the trim. As indicated at 6j the surface of the die may be engraved to simulate grains of leather, or as indicated at 6k marked to simulate stitches, or as shown at GZ may be provided with grooves to produce ridges on the nished trim.

In carrying out the improved method of attaching the trim, a piece 'l of sheet stock of rubber material is rst laid on the die. of rubber stock need not be of any particular shape or configuration provided only that it is of sufficient extent to fully overlie thedie proper 6b. Preferably the thickness of this rubber sheet will be slightly more than the most shallow portions of the die and not quite as great as the most deep portions of the die. This enables the rubber to adjust itself to the different depths of the Without being forced outward beyond the delineating edges thereof.

A preformed upper 8 is next laid on the rubber material, care being taken to see that the peripheral edge of the upper coincides With the outer edge of the die, as shown in Fig. 7. On the upper may be placed a preformed inside counter 9 which is prepared of stiff fabric stock coated on one side with a suitable rubber adhesive or layer of rubber 9a.

As above described, a light pressure in the This piece neighborhood of 60 pounds per square inch is imposed on the counter and upper to press them together` With the rubber stock toward the die. The latter is maintained at a temperature around ll5-ll6 C. or about 239 F. As the rubber heats up it not only readily moulds into the portions of the die but it also enters into the inter- K After a suitable period during which the light.

pressure and high temperature are maintained, the material is removed from the die, and the excess of rubber stock is readily torn away. Indeed, it may already have been partially severed from the adhered trim by the edges of the die proper Which stand up from the die face and may be formed sharp as seen at 6m in Figure 4. This excess rubber stock may be returned to the mill and used again so that there is no Wastage. And because the fabric uppers and counters are separately cut from stockjthe cutting dies can be nested close to one another and thus reduce the wastage of the fabric to an avoidable minimum.

lTlhe cpmpletely trimmed upper With attached counter is shown in Fig. S. A strip of binding tape it is next stitched around the top edge and along the forward depending edges of the upper. Eyelets l i are then attached and finally a tongue i2 and toe cap ita. The tongue is preformed from fabric and has applied thereto, by the same method as just described, a rubber toe cap |2a. The tongu`e may be stitched to the upper or a rubber adhesive may be applied to the inner surface of the upper and the tongue fastened thereto by a bonding action between the rubber adhesive and the rubber toe cap.

The fully completed upper can now be applied to a last and the subsequent operations performed to complete a shoe.

What we claim is:

rIhe method of attaching rubber trim to fabric shoe parts which comprises placing a sheet of rubber material upon a metal die having an upstanding section shaped to conform with the outline of the shoe part to be trimmed and having portions of the said section shaped to delineate the trim, placing a preformed fabric shoe part upon the rubber'sheet With the outline of the said part in register with the outline of the said die section, heating said die to a temperature between 285 and 245 F. and, While said temperature exists, applying a pressure of approximately sixty pounds per square inch against the exposed surface of said shoe part to press it toward said die and thereby cause the rubber material Within the confines of said trim delineations to enter the interstices of the fabric and become bound thereto.

CHARLES H. CHACE. ALFRED B. LINGLEY. PERCY J. MCCARTHY. 

